AD Ellen Dempsey Makes Big Announcements

AD Ellen Dempsey releases breaking news.

Hiram, Ohio -- Hiram College's Athletic Director, Ellen Dempsey, dropped by the college's Sports Journalism class for a private press conference with the students. During the approximately one hour long discussion with the class, Dempsey released multiple announcements regarding the athletic department. The press conference also included numerous praises to various teams in the athletic department for their accomplishments this year.

The first major announcement from Dempsey was that Hiram will be creating a new grant-supported, full-time position that carries the title of Assistant Director of Sports Information. Hiram will begin taking applications for the position by the end of this month and it will begin starting in August of the 16-17 school year. The new program will be filled by a NCAA intern, but there is one twist to the plot.

According to Dempsey, she said that "the goal of the program, by the NCAA, is they're trying to create opportunities for women and minorities" and therefore would place emphasis on hiring these groups who are at a higher disadvantage in today's world of receiving these positions.

By doing this, Hiram is taking a proactive approach to breach one of the buzz topics in today's world, which addresses that women are not treated equally or given the same opportunities in the workplace, but more specifically in the numerous male dominated fields that still exist.

The next big announcement that Dempsey announced was that Hiram's fifteenth athletic team, men's volleyball, will be a new sport at the school starting next year. The Men's volleyball team will begin as a club sport for the 16-17 school year, but will embark on its first official Division III season starting in 2017.

According to Dempsey, she said that, "The addition of men's volleyball is part of a larger vision for the future in the Department of Athletics at Hiram College".

Hiram College's Athletic's webpage also added in additional details regarding the recent growth in popularity of the sport. According to the webpage, "in the 2015-16 school year, 75 total colleges and universities sponsored men's volleyball as a varsity sport at the Division III level". Two of those teams from Hiram's regional area include Wittenberg's and Mount Saint Joseph's teams.

Finally, the third and final major announcement that Dempsey made was regarding a new major being introduced and offered at Hiram College. The new major offered will be called the integrative exercise science major. This major is specifically targeted at individuals who may be considering careers in fields such as coaching, physical therapy, athletic training (etc).

Dempsey also discussed the various accomplishments of the different departments within the athletic department. One of the most significant awards Hiram has received includes the Stan Musial Award for sportsmanship, which was awarded to the Hiram College women's basketball team on January 31 of this year. This award was received on the behalf of Lauren Hill's parents, who was the basketball player for Mount Saint Joseph who battled cancer to the very end of her life.

The Hiram College women's soccer team also made Dempsey's recognition agenda as she recognized and applauded the women for their sportsmanship award. The women did not receive a single yellow or red card throughout the entire season this year.

Ellen also made a few additional comments regarding the NCAC Branch Rickey Mentor Program, the new fence put up around the football field, the plans for the new scoreboard on the football field, and some of the new faces for the coaching staff at Hiram year.

An Uphill Battle

An Uphill Battle

Hiram, Ohio - The women's lacrosse team played strong but fell behind a little too far and a little too early in tonight's game versus Notre Dame (OH) College. The Terriers lost 14-8 to Notre Dame (OH) College.

The Hiram women's lacrosse team started off slow in today's match up versus Notre Dame (OH) College. Notre Dame used their speed to jump out to an early lead, scoring multiple unanswered goals giving them the lead. Suddenly, midway through the first half Hiram's offense gained some momentum as they began to counter their opponents attack, scoring four goals. Hiram ended the half in a pretty big hole, with the score being 10-4.

In the second half, the Terriers had solid defense and held the Falcons to only four goals in contrast to the 10 Falcon goals that were scored in the first half. Unfortunately, the Terriers' offensive and defensive efforts could not hold the Falcons long enough to complete their comeback. The final score of the game was 14-8.

Assistant Coach Carly Calapa summed up the game by saying, "This game came down to a lot of unfortunate circumstances...getting goals starts with the draw controls and we weren't winning draw controls tonight".

In the end, the game came down to who could get more shots on goal. The Falcons superseded the Terriers by shooting a total of 33 shots on goal, which was 11 more than the Terriers' 22 shots on goal. Pacing the Terriers' offense were Autumn Osgood with three goals, followed by Sierah Ray and Alyse Gillentine with two goals. Katelyn Slomovitz also chipped in one goal.

After the loss tonight, Hiram drops to 2-2 at home and 1-3 on the road, for a combined overall record of 3-5. Notre Dame (OH) College advances to 1-2 on the road and 2-1 at home for a combined overall record of 4-2. The Terriers play their second conference game versus DePauw (Ind.) on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Women's lacrosse looking for a win

Looking to get back on the right track

Hiram, Ohio - The Hiram women's lacrosse team is looking to get back on the right track after Saturday's loss versus Wooster, snapping Hiram's three game win streak. The Terriers are 2-1 at home and 1-3 on the road, for a combined overall record of 3-4 on the year. The Terriers are already two wins away from tying their combined number of wins from the 2014-2015 season. Hiram is averaging an astounding 9.71 goals per game and is shooting 42.5 percent as a team.

Tonight's opponent is Notre Dame College (OH), who is 3-2 overall this season. The Notre Dame Falcons are 2-1 at home and 1-1 on the road. The Falcons average an impressive amount of goals per game, averaging 13.2 goals. Notre Dame College is on a one game win streak after winning 16-3 versus Franciscan University of Steubenville.

With a win tonight, Hiram would move one more win closer to their single season high of five wins. Hiram would advance to a .500 record at 4-4 as well, putting them in a great position to have the team's best season since the program started just three years ago. For Notre Dame College, a win tonight would put them at 4-2 on the season.

There are no significant injuries going into tonight's game. The first face-off will be at 7 p.m. at Charles A. Henry Field.

Hiram falls 25 - 7 to the College of Wooster

Hiram falls 25 - 7 to the College of Wooster

Hiram, Ohio - The Men's Lacrosse team could not stop the high powered offense of the College of Wooster. The game started off strong in the first quarter, battling back and forth, until the flood gates opened midway through the quarter. The Fighting Scots scored three unanswered goals before Hiram could respond with one. From there on, the trend continued as Wooster would score multiple goals before Hiram could answer back. The leading scorers for the Terriers included Nick Rollason with four goals, Greg Summers with two goals and Jonah Austin with one goal.

Shots on goal seemed to be a problem for the Terriers as Wooster doubled Hiram's shots on goal. In fact, for most of the game, Wooster even scored more goals than Hiram had total shots on goals. Turnovers also seemed to be an issue for Hiram, who had a total of 30, which was two times as much as Wooster's.

Despite the scoreboard, Head Coach Brian Jenkins was able to pull a large number of positives out of this game.

Jenkins said, "Nick had another monster game today. He's had 10 goals in the last two games... and even though it doesn't show up on the stats, Charley Haley probably won about 85 percent of his draws. [Wooster] is a pretty good team. They're in the top 40 and for Charley to be able to man handle that guy like he did at the faceoff was a tribute to him and his hard work".

Looking forward, Jenkins also said, "We have a tough stretch coming up in the next week and we will see how that works out".

Hiram is now 1-5 overall (1-3 at home and 0-3 on the road) and Wooster advances to 7-2 overall (2-1 at home and 4-1 on the road). Hiram with play another conference game against #11 ranked Ohio Wesleyen at Charles Henry Field at 2 on Saturday. Wooster will play another conference game versus Otterbein on Wednesday.

Hiram Men's Lacrosse Looking to Start a Streak

Hiram Men's Lacrosse Looking to Start a Streak

Hiram, Ohio - The Hiram Men's Lacrosse team is looking to start up a winning streak after defeating Franciscan 13-10 on Wednesday and gaining their first win on the season. The Terriers are 0-3 on the road and 1-2 at home this season for an overall record of 1-5. As a new program at Hiram and only in their fourth season, the Terriers are already two wins away from tying the single season wins record of three. The Men's team has been changing up both their defense and offense lately, which helped contribute to their success on this past Wednesday.

Today, the men are playing in their second conference game versus the College of Wooster. Wooster is 3-1 on the road and 2-1 at home for an overall record of 6-2. In fact, only approximately 25 percent of Wooster's roster is from the local area with the rest of the team being from areas where lacrosse is very popular.

With a win tonight, Hiram would move back to .500 in the conference, evening their record out at 1-1 and defeat a very good Wooster team. The Terriers would also start a win streak of two games. On the other hand, Wooster would extend their win streak to four games with a win tonight.

There are no significant injuries going into tonight's game. The first face off will happen at 1 on Henry Field of the Coleman Center athletic complex.

Field of Dreams: Hiram College Baseball Edition

http://www.hiramterriers.com/facilities/fishel

What Exactly is on the Drawing Board?

Hiram, Ohio -- The Hiram College Terriers' baseball team is well in need for some new advancements in their facilities and technologies. When baseball prospects come on a visit to Hiram's campus, it only takes a few moments for them to notice something very strange and say, "Are you serious?". Yes, Hiram College's baseball facility is missing a fence. As a NCAA Division III school, this comes as a shock to most people since most high school players come from schools that have fences. In year's prior, the college has installed a temporary snow fence each Spring for the team, but stands as one of the most depressing fields in the NCAC. Although, rumors are circulating claiming that this may be coming to an end in the near future.

When asked about his opinion of Fishel Field, Hiram's baseball complex, Sophomore Outfielder/Pitcher Kyle Watson responded, "It could use some work. Obviously, the fence is an issue and new bullpens would be nice, but the location is what really sucks. With it being at the bottom of the hill, if it rains, it takes at least two days to dry out".

These are just a few of the problems with Fishel Field. Howard Jenter, who is currently in his twenty-fifth season as the Head Coach of Hiram's baseball team, said, "The playing surface is comparable to anywhere else inside and outside of our conference, especially since they started laser leveling the field. It's the surroundings of the field that needs some work".

During Jenter's time as a baseball player at Hiram and his twenty-five years as a coach, Jenter has seem some cosmetic renovations, such as new dugouts, a new tarp, a new scoreboard and bullpens that he put in himself, but nothing as major as the rumors that are circulating. Thus, he is very excited at the idea of some potential renovations to the field.

According to Hiram College's Athletic Director, Ellen Dempsey, the college has been looking into updating some aspects of Fishel Field. Some of the rumors floating around include a fence, a press box, live stats, Wi-Fi connectivity, a concession stand and batting cages. Even an all turf field has not been ruled out of the equation.

When asked about future advancements, Dempsey responded that "all of the programs here [Hiram College] have three different types of lists for their program. They have needs, wants and can't live withouts".

Thus, there is a hierarchical list of priorities regarding renovations to the field. One of the most important problems to fix is the fence. Although, the problem that had stalled any progress in the past was that the baseball field and grass soccer field overlap, which is why a permanent fence cannot be installed. The most innovative solution consists of a semi-permanent fence, that would have a dual purpose for the baseball field and grass soccer field.

According to Dempsey, the final numbers are still coming in, but one option that is being explored is to contract through the same company that just completed the fencing on the turf field. The fence would be eight feet high around the outfield and five or six feet high around the surroundings that would fully enclose the baseball field. The main feature includes connection pipes that would be installed in the ground along the outfield walls of right field and center field and the far side of the grass soccer field, making it dual-functioning so that it can be moved for both soccer and baseball. This project is estimated to cost $46,000.

Hiram College's Athletic Complex: Via Google Maps

Proposal Idea: Drawn by Corey Stamco

Funding is another topic that came up in conversation with both Dempsey and Jenter. Dempsey brought up a valid point, stating that funding is sometime difficult for donors because they want to help but may only have a few hundred dollars to contribute. As a result, rather than the funds sitting in an account that may not make progress for years, they prefer to have an immediate impact by taking the team out to dinner or donating various equipment.

When asked about a time table, Jenter responded that it is difficult to tell. Jenter said, "Once the athletic department decides to proceed with a plan, they will look for a lead donor who can cover about half of the cost. After a lead donor [expresses interest], others will see the progress and the closeness to the goal".

The entire baseball program of Hiram College is hoping that the "Field of Dreams" will happen sooner than later, but understand the difficulties that come with the process.

Jenter later added, "The facilities can definitely be a drawback [when recruiting], but I think that we match up extremely well with other schools for a small college. We are proud of what we have".

References

Personal interview with Ellen Dempsey (2016, March 21).
Personal interview with Howard Jenter (2016, March 22).
Personal interview with Kyle Watson (2016, March 21).
Robert O. Fishel Field. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.hiramterriers.com/facilities/fishel

A Round of Golf to Remember

September of 2013 was when it all happened. Jenelle Bayus was in her sophomore year and playing her second season of Division III collegiate golf at Hiram College.

It was the second tournament of the year. The sun was shining and the weather was absolutely beautiful. The team was playing at Ohio Wesleyan University, which just so happened to be in a prime location, located directly across from the Columbus Zoo.

Jenelle remembers the scenery and said, "I remember seeing the zoo animals from a distance. That was really cool!"

She arrived in Hiram College's team vans cool and confident from her pre-tournament ritual: Bayus preferred not to talk to people before her tournaments and tuned out the world by listening to music. She was sporting her red polo on Saturday and then wore her blue polo on Sunday because Tiger Woods wore red on Sunday and she never wanted to match.

In the previous year, Bayus had just an average year. In fact, this team was not much different.

Jenelle said, "We all played like crap the weekend before and coach was yelling at us, telling us how our swing coaches are crap and that they don't teach us anything".

Despite these comments, Bayus returned home to her swing coach for one last lesson before the tournament. It turns out that it paid off. On the first hole, Bayus smacked a drive right down the middle of the fairway.

Bayus said, "I knew from the first hole that it was going to be a great day because the first hole is normally the worst for me".

Bayus finished the day as the best on her team. Despite the team's shooting total of 745 strokes over the weekend, Bayus shot the team's best (low) on both days, shooting 87 on Saturday and 89 on Sunday. Although the team did not do as well as she had hoped and placed eighth out of nine teams, Jenelle could not be any more happy with herself.

Jenelle said, "And to top things off, we got to go to the zoo after we were done playing. And I didn't even lose a ball that weekend!". We both shared a laugh as she sighed through a smile.

Women's Basketball Wrap Up: One Season to Remember

Hiram, Ohio -- With the season coming to a close on February 23 after a 65-52 loss at Kenyon in the NCAC tournament Quarterfinals, the Hiram Women's Basketball team wrapped up a historic season.

The Women's basketball team finished 12-14 overall and 6-10 in the conference this year. Their 12 win season tied the record for the most wins in a single season. This year's team was awfully close to breaking the record, needing only two wins in their last seven games, but it unfortunately slipped out of their hands. Nevertheless, the season ended with a historic run that made history.

The Women exceeded expectations this season. Hiram was actually selected to finish in eighth, the second to last place, in the NCAC preseason poll. The team itself had personal expectations to improve their record from the 14'-15' season of 7-19 overall and 3-13 in the conference. They also desired to receive a bid into the NCAC tournament.

The women achieved all of this and so much more. The girls improved their record, made the NCAC tournament and tied the single season wins record. The women also place three entire spots higher in the conference standings at the end of the season, placing in fifth place. Another significant statistical increase from the 14'-15' season to the 15'-16' season is that their free throw shooting percentage increased a full 11 percent. Undoubtedly, the women more than exceeded their expectations going into the year.

The Terriers were led by Mercedes Jones, who averaged 15.3 points per game, and Kaylee Shockley, who averaged 10.8 points per game. These statistics earned them both All-NCAC honors as well as a Sports Journalism superlative for MVP players (Jones with five votes and Shockley with two votes). These were two key players in the Terriers offense who had breakout seasons, stepping up their roles as sophomores this year.

Other superlatives voted by the Sports Journalism class included:

Most serious post game interviewee: Dana Perrotta (3) and Mercedes Jones (2)
Best post game interviewee: Coach Hays (3), followed by Kaylee Shockley (2)
Best practice interviewee: Allison Vannoy (2)
Most fun player to watch: Allison Vannoy (Unanimous)
Blue collar, scrappy, workhorse award: Dana Perrotta (Unanimous)

The team will be congratulating four seniors in May at graduation: Sierra Day, Brianne Goodrich, Rachel Ellis and Sarah Berger. These four seniors will be missed for their leadership on the team and charisma. The four seniors combine for a total of 6.6 points per game.

Returning for the Terriers is their entire starting lineup from this year, leaving only good news for their future. Additionally, Junior Kayla Yost, who torn her ACL, will be returning to the Terriers offense next year. Yost was a major part of the Terriers' offensive threat and a 5-3 record in the beginning of the season, playing in 8 games and averaging 11.5 points per game during that time frame.

Look for the Terriers to be a major threat next year in the NCAC and expect them to be chasing even more than just one record next year.

Doc Stuke's First Football Game: The Injury That Ended A Career

It was a Monday night in November of 1987. The Boy's Club in Massillon, Ohio is where the final game was played. Dave Strukel, a 5 foot 11 inches, sophomore had just missed the opportunity to play for Masillon's varsity team after being cut at the last moment a year prior. Now, Dave Strukel turned to intramural basketball and joined his fellow band friends and older brother, Dan, on a team called "Toxic Waste". At 17 years old, Stukel was the youngest member of the team, yet led them with 16 points per game. He wore #33 on his royal blue and gold jersey for his favorite player of all time, Kareem Abdul Jabar.

Toxic Waste was only 2-10 on the season, gaining their only two wins by forfeit. Stukel and Toxic Waste knew that they were the underdogs coming into that night game, as they faced one of the most athletic teams in the league called the "Skinny Boys".

Strukel said that, "The Skinny Boys were so popular that they had a fan club at every game they played".

He was not incorrect. At the Boy's Club that night, there were about 15-20 people, comprised of his classmates, some of which were high school girls.

As soon as the tip off was completed, there was a spark that ignited in Strukel.

Strukel recalls and said, "I was scoring like crazy...they thought that I couldn't shoot and left me open". Despite being down nearly 20 points from the start of the game, Stukel did not care. With three minutes left in the first half, he had already scored 22 points and was well on his way to the best night of his career. Then suddenly, the world came to a screeching halt in those last few minutes.

Toxic Waste was on a rare fast break against the Skinny Boys with the ball in the hands of their all-star. Strukel was coming up the left side of the paint with one of his teammates on the far right wing crashing towards the hoop.

Dave recalls the moment and said, "I saw him on the block but I wasn't passing the ball. I was hot with 22 points. You know how that is ballers. You don't want to pass the ball".

Strukel planted at the top of the foul line and brought the ball up by his left ear when the defender stepped up to guard him. Although what Stukel did not realize is that the defender was not stopping as he was going full force to jar the ball loose. The defender landed a blow to Stukel's head, just above the left eye sending him backwards from the hoop. Still keeping his pivot foot down, he shot it in and off of the glass.

When he turned around to start moving back to the other side of the court, he realized that he was gushing blood. The referee yelled for him to get off the floor as blood was pouring all over the rubberized surface of the gym floor.

At this moment in recollecting, Strukel laughed saying, "It is a good thing that we didn't have cameras at that time because I would have had so many pictures taken. All the girls were screaming ew".

Despite the golf ball protruding from his eyelid, he did not go to the hospital. Strukel went home with his brother and just put a bag of peas on his eye.

When their mother got home, she prompted them both on what happened. Dave, being the jokester that he is, responded with all he knew was that there was no foul called.

Dave finished the night with 24 points in his final game of his basketball career. Despite the injury, Strukel still says that he has no regrets.

When asked "if he could do it all over again, would he pass the ball?", he did not hesitate and responded with an affirmative "No way".

On the Verge of History

Hiram's Women's Basketball team is close to setting a record

With a win tonight, the Hiram Women's Basketball team will break the school record for most wins in a single season. The Terriers, who just recently broke a four game losing streak on Senior night this past Saturday, are 5-6 at home and 5-5 on the road, for an overall record of 12-12. A win in their final game will propel them over .500 winning percentage, but it will not come easy.

The Terriers will be taking on Denison, who is 9-1 at home and 8-2 on the road, for an overall record of 20-3. Denison also just recently sealed the first place spot in the NCAC with their win at Kenyon. Leading Denison's offense is Junior, Jordan Holmes, who is averaging 15.3 points per game with a dominating shooting percentage of 61.9 percent from the floor. An additional six players on Denison's roster heavily contribute to their offensive threats, posting up averages that range from five to nine points per game.

Freshman Guard, Erica Johnson, spoke about the importance of shutting down Jordan Holmes of Denison. Johnson said that, "We need to work on our defense. We're going to be fronting them and then working on our help side defense. So we just need to make sure that we work on that in practice".

Kaylee Shockley led the Terriers in their last game against Oberlin with 20 points. Mercedes Jones will also be a necessary component in the Terriers' game plan. Mercedes is the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting 45 percent from the floor.

When asked about how Mercedes will be incorporated into the team's strategy against Denison, Johnson said that, "It's important to get both inside and outside looks, so we just have to make sure that when Mercedes is open, ... [we] get the ball into her pretty fast".

With a win tonight, Hiram will end the season one game above .500 and place in the fourth, fifth or sixth seed, pending the remaining conference play for the other teams. With a Denison win tonight, Denison would advance to 21-3 overall and there would be no change in seeding.

There are no significant injuries in the game tonight. Tipoff is at Denison University and is set for 6 tonight.

A second half to remember

Hiram, Ohio - Only one win left! Hiram's Women's Basketball courageously fought to the very end of tonight's game versus Oberlin College. The Terriers won 53-50 in a comeback fashion with a large fan base of family and friends for Senior night. Hiram had multiple scoring contributors. Kaylee Shockley led the team with 20 points followed by Mercedes Jones, who had 12 points herself.

When asked about what was the turning point in today's game, Head Coach Emily Hays said, "I felt like... I'll be honest. It all kinda went together!" followed by unanimous laughter around the room.

After a rough start in the first quarter, shooting only 13.3 percent as a team, and an average second quarter, Hiram went into the locker room down 24-18. After the half, we saw a completely different team as the Terriers came out energized and focused. They slowly began chipping away at Oberlin's lead. The girls narrowed Oberlin's lead to six points at the end of the third quarter and then turned up the heat. Hiram caused nine Oberlin turnovers in the fourth quarter and quickly converted them into points.

Despite Oberlin shooting 53.8 percent from the floor compared to Hiram's 28.3 percent, Hiram was able to pull off a three point victory with the help from their defense. Oberlin had 34 turnovers while Hiram limited their own to only 14 turnovers. Hiram also played smart with their fouls by only sending Oberlin to the line for four foul shots the entire game. On the other hand, Hiram had 19 foul shots, from which they converted 15 points.

Hiram (12-12) is now 5-6 at home and 5-5 on the road. With tonight's win, Hiram gains a one game advantage over Oberlin in securing the sixth spot in the NCAC. Hiram is also one win away from breaking the most wins in a single season record. Hiram plays their final game at Denison on Wednesday at 6. Oberlin College (10-13) now drops to 5-5 at home and 5-6 on the road and will play Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday.

Looking for a crucial win on Senior night

Hiram, Ohio - The Hiram women's basketball team is still on the verge of setting the single season wins record despite their recent slump. The Terriers are 4-6 at home and 5-5 on the road, rounding out an overall record of 11-12. In order to break the record, Hiram must win both of their last two games of the season. It all starts with a crucial win here tonight on Senior night. The Terriers are on a four game losing streak and will be looking to break that. Sophomore Mercedes Jones has been leading the charge for the Terriers, scoring points in the double digits in the last five games, with a high of 28 points. 

Tonight's opponent is Oberlin College. Oberlin is 5-5 at home, 5-5 away and has an overall record of 10-12. In the last time these two teams faced, Hiram jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter until halftime, but came out a different team in the second half. Oberlin routed Hiram by a score of 55-35. Rebounding was also part of the issue in the last game as Oberlin out rebounded Hiram 51-27. It will be interesting to see how both teams respond since the last time that they matched up.

With a win tonight, Hiram will maintain their sixth rank in the NCAC while simultaneously suppressing Oberlin's attempt to reach the sixth spot. This game is crucial for both teams due to the season coming to a close and seeding for the tournament right around the corner. 

There are no significant injuries going into tonight's Senior night. Tipoff is at Price Gymnasium at 1.

Hiram's Women's Basketball suffers a disappointing loss

Hiram, Ohio - The Terriers battled hard but could not hold off Wooster as they fell 65-50. The first two quarters were a constant battle back and forth. In fact, Hiram jumped out to a two point lead after the first quarter and held a five point lead during the second quarter. The remainder of the second quarter favored Wooster as they climbed back, took the lead and never let up. It seemed as if the final play of the half, when Wooster's Anna Gibbs drained a buzzer beating three-pointer, was the final blow to the Terriers. Leading the offensive charge for the Terriers was Mercedes Jones with 16 points, followed by Savana Lowery's 12 points.

When discussing Hiram's second half performance, Coach Emily Hays said, "We are a young team, so consistency is huge. It's something that we are still trying to find".

Wooster made a statement right out of the locker room after halftime by going on a huge run to take a commanding lead over the Terriers, which never wavered. Lauren Hancher lead the Fighting Scots with an incredible 32 points, shooting 14-22 from the floor. Wooster also shot a full 10 percent higher as a team than Hiram, finishing with a shooting percentage of 45.5 percent.

Emily Hays summed up the Terriers' issues by saying, "[We] need to start believing in ourselves...It's not just Xs and Os, but more so it's a mental type of game."

Hiram is now 11-12 overall with a conference record of 5-9. Wooster improves to 6-16 overall, with a conference record of 2-11. The Terriers will take on Oberlin College at home on Saturday in their second to last game of the season.

Getting back on the right track

Hiram, Ohio - The Hiram women's basketball team is looking to get back on the right track tonight by breaking their three game losing streak with a win over the conference's last place team, Wooster. The Terriers are 4-5 at home and 5-5 on the road, for an overall record of 11-11. With only three games remaining in the season and two wins needed to break the most wins in a single season record, a win in tonight's game would give the women a very good chance to achieve their goal. Mercedes Jones has been the Terriers' dominating scorer over the last four games. Jones is averaging 17 points per game in the last four games.

Tonight's opponent is the Wooster Fighting Scots, who is 4-6 at home and 1-10 on the road, for an overall record of 5-16: the Fighting Scots are currently on a 13 game losing streak. These teams met two weeks ago, which ended in a 61-53 Terrier win in overtime. Mercedes Jones was a key factor in the last time these teams met with a double-double. Jones had 18 points to go along with her 12 rebounds.

A win tonight would put Hiram one step closer to achieving their ever so elusive goal of breaking the single season wins record. A win would also give Hiram some momentum heading into the remaining two conference games to try to boost their standings rank as the difference between fourth place and seventh place is only a two game lead. A loss tonight for Wooster would eliminate all hopes for them to escape the last spot in the conference.

There are no significant injuries going into tonight's game. Tipoff is at Hiram College's Price Gymnasium and is set for 6 tonight.

Still Chasing History

The Terriers are close to shattering a record

The Hiram women's basketball team is still chasing history with only five games remaining in the season. A win in tonight's game versus Wittenberg would tie the record for most wins in a single season, while two wins out of the remaining five would break the record. The Terriers currently stand at 4-5 at home and 5-3 on the road, for an overall record of 11-9. With both teams coming off of a one game losing streak and Hiram only leading Wittenberg by one game in the NCAC conference standings, this game is crucial for both teams.

Tonight's opponent, Wittenberg, is 3-5 at home and 1-6 on the road, for an overall record of 5-12. In their last appearance, Hiram dominated by a final score of 62-44. In fact, the Terriers jumped out to an early lead and never let up as they scored more points than Wittenberg in all four quarters and shot nearly 50 percent as a team. Mercedes Jones and Kaylee Shockley led the charge for the Terriers with 17 and 16 points respectively. Allison Vannoy was just shy of a triple-double in her last game against Wittenberg with nine points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

With a win tonight, Hiram will gain a competitive edge over Wittenberg by taking a two game lead over Wittenberg to hold and/or advance from the fifth spot in the NCAC. Both teams still have great opportunities to improve their records though. Hiram has four more conference games and Wittenberg has five more conference games to wrap up their seasons.

There are no signficant injuries impacting tonight's game. Tipoff will be at Wittenberg at 7 tonight.

Hiram College vs. Kenyon College: A hard fought battle

Honey, someone shrunk the rims.

Hiram, Ohio - It appeared as if someone shrunk the diameters of the rims tonight at Hiram. The Hiram Lady Terriers (Overall 10-8, Conference 4-5) had a hard fought battle against the Kenyon Lords (Overall 12-6, Conference 6-3) in front of a full house. The women lost 49-35 tonight to Kenyon College. Hiram's leading scorers were sophomore Kaylee Shockley with 9 points, followed by Dana Perrotta with 7 points. Junior Brianna Goodrich led the charge for the Terriers tonight on the boards with six rebounds.

"[Our two weaknesses were] our intensity and the fact that we relied too heavily on our outside shots, especially when they weren't falling" said senior Dana Perrotta.

Kenyon, whose defense has been known to be tough after holding Wittenberg to only 21.5 percent shooting last week, held the Lady Terriers to 12-51 (23.5 percent) from the floor. The apple did not fall from the tree though as Kenyon followed the same trend. In fact, both teams in the first quarter shot under 13 percent from the floor as Kenyon led only 7-5. It seemed as if someone had actually shrunk the rims as each shot rattled in and out.

Kenyon found a spark and pulled ahead of the Terriers by outscoring them 30-15 in the second and third quarter. The Terriers did not give up though as a late surge narrowed the lead to only six points, but it was too late.

Hiram is now 12-6 overall and 4-5 in the conference and will play at Wooster on Wednesday. Kenyon improves to 12-6 overall and 6-3 in the conference and will play against Oberlin at home.

Hiram College Women's Basketball: Looking for another thriller versus Kenyon College

Hiram, Ohio - After a thrilling buzzer beater in the last seconds of their previous game versus Kenyon College, the team is looking to take another one from the Lords. The Terriers, who currently reside in 4th place in the NCAC are 10-7 overall and 4-4 within the conference. After overcoming a 15 point deficit in the last game against Kenyon, the women will look to gain the lead and hold it. In fact, the Terriers win versus Kenyon in December was the first time in school history that Hiram beat Kenyon.

After a dominating performance by Sophomore Mercedes Jones, who led the charge for the Terriers with 17 points, the Terriers will be looking to use her skills to their advantage. Jones poses a strong threat against the Kenyon Lords, as she leads the team in scoring (16.2 ppg), shooting percentage (.477), rebounding (7.4 ppg) and blocks (17).

Kenyon is currently 11-6 overall with a 5-3 conference record. A win tonight would put the Hiram Terriers in third place in the NCAC and tied with Kenyon.

There are no significant injuries to any key players for tonight's game. Tip off will be at Price Gymnasium at 1 tonight.